Tubularizing and detubularizing belt system

ABSTRACT

In a moving belt system wherein the belt is tubularized and detubularized stresses and strains during tubularization and detubularization are minimized by passing the belt immediately before tubularization and after detubularization over a flat roller which is elevated a predetermined distance above the plane tangential to the bottom of the tubularized portion of the belt.

United States Patent Rogers 1 1 Oct. 2, 1973 [54] TUBULARIZING AND DETUBULARIZING 2,119,910 6/1938 Ferry 198/194 X SYSTEM ZZZT'ZZZ Z133; L""" 133/123 o ama [75] Inventor: Alan Fletcher Rogers, Naperville, Ill. y [73] Assignee: Union Carbide Corporation, New primary Examiner Edward smka York Att0rneyPaul A. Rose etal.

[22] Filed: Mar. 30, 1972 [2]] Appl. No.: 239,417 [57 ABSTRACT In a moving belt system wherein the belt is tubularized and detubularized stresses and strains during tubulari- 58] Fie'ld 194 zation and detubularization are minimized by passing lgg/DlG the belt immediately before tubularization and after detubularization over a Hat roller which is elevated a predetermined distance above the plane tangential to I56] SEZE Zf the bottom of the tubularized portion of the belt.

572,262 12/1896 Kennel 198/194 X 25 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures PLANE'P/ Pmimww 2 sum 3 (IF 3 TUBULARIZING AND DETUBULARIZING BELT SYSTEM Many industrial processes require a moving flexible belt which can be twisted and shaped into desired configurations and restored to its original shape without damage to the belt or alteration of its physical structure. This frequently is the case with the conveyor belts which must have an at least semitubular cross-sectional profile such as to contain the material being transported. These belts are often made of a more or less elastic material, one which is capable of limited distortion and flexing. Such elastic materials cannot be used for belts in all applications, however, because they store energy when flexed. For this reason, unless they are maintained undenhigh tensile forces their shape or contour may change from what is desired. Thus many applications require belts made of woven mesh or the like. The most convenient manner of using woven mesh material in a bel t wod ld be to use a s'trip as it was loomed, that is, with the wra strands parallel t6 tii'hirection of movement or travel of the belt and the weft strands at right angles to the direction of travel. Such however, is limited to those'systems where the belt is flat throughout its pathof travel and return, with no tubularization or bending up of the edges of the belt.

In commonly employed belt systems wherein the belt is partially tubularized or at least has the edges bent up to contain the material being transported, the attendant stresses on and distortions of the belt would quickly deform and soon destroy an ordinary woven mesh .belt. One currentsolution to this problem is to use what is known as a bias-woven belt, that is, a beltin which the warp and weft threads of the mesh are at an angle, usually about 45, with the edge of the belt. In wider belts this can be done by cutting a segment of the mesh at a 45 angle across the warp threads and then splicing pieces together to. make the belt. This necessity for multiple splicing adds greatly to the cost of the belt and provides areas of possible weakness and future rupture. I have now developed a method and apparatus for FIG. 6 is a detail view of a belt edge guide assembly.

FIG. 7 illustrates a square weave mesh for a belt.

FIG. 8 illustrates a double articulating wir'e link mesh for a belt.

FIG. 9 illustrates a pinned link mesh for a belt.

FIG. 10 illustrates a cross-linked continuous strand mesh for a belt.

FIG. 11 is a diagramatic representation of the spatial relationships of the elements of the belt system of the invention, as in FIG. 11 A.

In FIG. 1 a continuous belt 10 is guided into and out of a fully tubular configuration by track 12 which engage chains 14 attached tothe edges of the belt 10. Spur gears 16 engage the chains 14 and thus drive the belt 10, being powered by a motor 18 through a drive belt 20. The track 12 is supported by braces 22. At each end of the machine the belt 10 passes over an elevated roller 24 which may rotate freely or be driven by being connected to the spur gears 16. In the lower portion of the machine the flat belt 10 passes over idler rolls 26. The, elevated rollers 24 are positioned according to the principles described below with respect to FIG. 11 and as a result stresses are minimized in the belt 10 as it passes from the flat state to the fully tubular state and back again. FIG. 2 shows a cross section through the fully tubularized portion of the belt showing the almost fully circular configuration of' the belt In FIG. 3 the moving belt system is similar to that of FIG. 1, however the belt is only partially tubularized in the area of maximum tubularization. A continuous belt 30 is guided into and out of a partially tubular configuration by tracks 32 which engage chains 14 attached to the edges of the belt 30. Spur gears l6engage the chains 14 and thus drive the belt 30, being powered by a motor 18 through a drive belt The track 32 is supported by braces 34. At each end of the machine the belt passes over an elevated roller 24 whichmay rotate freely or be driven by being connected to the spur gears 16. In'the lower portion of the machine the flat belt 30' passes over idler rolls26'. The elevated rollers V 24are, as in the case of the fully tubularized belt, positubularizing and detubulari'zing a continuous moving a bias woven belt. My invention is useful and beneficial in any belt system where the belt serves as a support for I particulate materials, whether or not theyaredistributed uniformly across the belt width..

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 illustrates a tubularizing and detubularizing belt system wherein the belt is fullytubularized.

FIG.- 2 is a cross-section view of the fully tubularized portion of the belt of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates a 'tubulariz'ing and detubularizing belt system wherein the belt is only partially tubular when subjected to maximum tubularization.

FIG. 4 is a cross-section view of a partially tubularized belt with a 'curvedfmid line area, taken at maximum tubularization in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a cross-section view of a partially tubularized belt with a flat mid line area, shown at maximum tubularization.

shows a cross-section through the partially-tubularized" portion of the belto f FIG; 2 showing the partially circular configuration of the belt during maximum tubularization. FIG. 5 shows a different embodiment, being a cross-sectional view of a partially tubularized belt 40 with a flat bottom in the partially tubularized portions,

as contoured by tracks 42 but otherwise similar to the belt and belt system shown in FIGS. 3 and. 4. I

In FIG. 6 can be seen a detail viewof a method of-ate taching'the edge'of the belt to guide and drive means. In this embodiment the edge of the belt 50 is reinforced with a flexible reinforcing strip 52 which is glued, c'rimped, soldered or otherwise attachedto thebelt.

Holes 54 are punched through the strip 52 and belt $0 at regular intervals along the edge of the belt. Angle brackets 56 are attached at one end to the reinforced edge strip 52 by rivets 58 with spacing washers 6i) between the bracket 56 and thestrip '52. Theother end of the bracket 56 is attached-to the inner chain link side plate 62 by a rivet 64 extending through the chain link spacer 66. With the belt attached to the chain in this manner the belt can be both driven and guided by movement of the chain.

The invention can be applied to any flexible, relatively inelastic belt, regardless of the material of which it is made or the manner in which is is constructed. Thus the belt may be a woven mesh 70, as shown in FIG. 7, or a non-woven mat, with mesh strands of any suitable non-elastic material including metals such as copper, steel, aluminum or the like, as well as natural and synthetic fibers such as glass, polyester, graphite, I

nylon and the like. The mesh of double articulated link 72 shown in FIG. 8 can be a metallic wire such as copper, steel, aluminum or the like or any other suitable non-elastic material including molded or extruded plastic such as polyester, nylon, polypropylene or the like.

Another suitable belt material is the pinned link mesh of FIG. 9 in which individual warp links 74 and weft links 76 are secured by rivets 78. These links can be metal such as copper, bronze, steel, aluminum or the like, as well as plastic such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, nylon or the like, leather or any other suitable non-elastic materiaLThese same materials are suitable for the cross-linked continuous strand mesh of FIG. 10 in which individual weft links 78 connect continuous warp strands 80 through rivets 82.

The drive means utilized can be any convenient system of moving the belt. In the case of belts of moderate width and weight the driving force can be applied to the edges of the belt alone. With particularly wide and/or heavy belts additional moving force can be applied at other points across the width of the belt, usually at the center. Thus a belt can be readily driven and guided at the same time by fastening a chain to the edges of the belt as shown in FIG. 6 and driving the chain with sprocket gears as shown in FIG. 1 while running the chain through guide tracks as shown in FIG. 1. Additional driven chain, such as a center chain can also be employed. It is however within the scope of the invention to supply a driving force to the belt in other ways as by driving a flat roller with a surface which would frictionally engage the belt. And of course guide means for the edge of the belt would not have to be a belt but could be any guide member capable of being guided by a track or the like.

In FIG. I] which illustrates the case of full tubularization, the basic plane of reference R1 is defined by line M, which is the extension of the midline of the tubularized portion of the belt 100, and the line T intersecting line M at a right angle at point P1, which line T is tangential to the midline area of the belt 100 at the point of initial most complete tubularization of said belt 100. The line C, which is a centerline of the most fully circular cross-sectional area of the tubularized belt, intersects point P1 and is perpendicular to the plane R1. Lines C and T define the plane R2 which is the plane of initial most complete tubularization of the belt 100 and of the most fully circular cross-sectional area of the tubularized belt. In the diagramatic representation of FIG. 11 the point P2 in the plane R2 is the theoretical point of initial divergence of the edges of the belt I00 from the tubular configuration toward the flat configuration. In the fully tubular case illustrated there is only a single point P2 because the edges of the belt come together at the point of complete tubularization. Whenever the most complete tubularization results in less than a perfect tube, as in all partial tubularization cases, there are two points P2, one for each edge of the belt and both in plane R2, as shown in FIG. 11A.

The roller 102 over which the belt is flattened is so positioned that its axis A is parallel to plane R1 and also to plane R2. A line from the mid point P3 of the top surface of the belt 100 in contact with the roller 102 perpendicular to plane R1 intersects plane R1 at point P4. The edges of the belt 100 resting on the roller 102 are designated P5. The position of the roller is defined by its distance Pl-P4 from plane R2 and its height P3-P4 above plane Rl.

According to the invention, for any distance Pl/P4 the height P3/P4 is adjusted so that the distance P5/P2 along the edges of the belt from the top of the roller 102 to the point of most complete tubularization is substantially equal to the distance P3/PI from the mid point of the flattened belt 100 on top of the roller 102 along the midline of the belt 100 to the nearest point of most complete tubularization of the belt. In the case of a fully tubularized belt the height P3/P4 can be stated mathematically as a function of the diameter P1/P2 of the tubularized belt. This function can be stated:

The theoretical value for the constant K is 1.73 which represents the ideal position of the roller 102 in a fully tubularized belt system. In practice, benefits of the invention can be achieved to an appreciable degree with a value for K as low as 1.0 or as high as 2.5.

The distance P4/Pl of the roller 102 away from the point of complete tubularization is not nearly as critical as its height P3/P4. This distance P4/Pl can be varied within relatively wide limits to accommodate practical problems in the design and construction of the equipment and the properites of the particular belt material used. In general, the distance P4/Pl should be from 6 to 24 times the diameter Pl/P2, with P4/Pl preferably equal to about 12 Pl/P2.

A more general formula governs the position of the roller in a belt system where the belt is only partially tubularized in the region of most complete tubularization. FIG. llA, which is a modification of FIG. 11 in the area of tubularization, shows the spacial configuration in this more general case. Because the belt is only partially tubularized there are two separated points P2, each an equal distance P2/P7 from a point P7 on the centerline C, measured along the line P2/P7 parallel to line T. Each edge of the belt P2 is elevated above the reference plane R1 a distance P2/P6 measured along the line P2/P6 perpendicular to the plane Rl from P2 to the point P6 on line T.

For the generalized case which includes all degrees of most complete tubularization from the partial tubularization of FIGS. 4 and 5 to the full tubularization of FIG. 2, the optimum height P3/P4 of the top of the roller 102 above the reference plane R1 can be determined by the following formula which uses the relationships diagrammed in FIGS. 11 and 11A:

As discussed above, in the special case of fully tubularized belt this reduces to the simple formula P3/P4 1.73 Pl/P2 a distance of 24 feet. To the edges of the belt were attached flexible roller chains capable of limited bending and twistingin all directions. These roller chains were guided in rigid accurately aligned control tracks. The theoretical width of the belt was 24 inches, but this was reduced by 2% inches to allow for chain guide space at the top of the machine where the belt would be completely tubularized.

The tubularizing and detubularizing mode was defined by two criteria:

1. The length of the center strand path was made as nearly equal as possible to the length of the edge strand path by elevating the end roller to the height defined by 2. The horizontal distance from the point of initial full tubularization to the top of the end roller was approximately 12 times the diameter of the tubular portion.

The belt material was a twill woven phosphor bronze wire of 44 X 26 count, having an open area of 26 percent. The belt was woven with a very low crimp in the cross direction and a high crimp in the machine, or travel, direction. It is then relatively sleazy, allowing strands to rotate somewhat at crossover points. The belt material was tested in an Instron Testing Machine, and it was found that permanent elongations occurred at one-half percent elongation in a single cycle, and at one-fourth percent elongation after 10 cycles.

Flat rollers somewhat less in width than the width of the belt and 25.471 inches in diameter were mounted at both ends of the machine, Sprockets with a chain pitch diameter of 25.471 inches were used at the outside ends of the pulleys. Free wheeling idler rollers were placed at intervals along the return path of the belt at the bottom of the machine.

The belt assumed a smooth configuration throughout the tubularizing and detubularizing cycles mode when the edge path was straight in all but its terminal portions and the angles of the chain guide tracks were adjusted to conform to the drape of the belt. The belt ran smoothly under power and showed no signs ofdeterioration after more than one hundred-hours of running. What is claimed is: l. A moving belt tubularizing-detubularizing mecha nism comprising I a continuous belt which is substantially inelastic and is susceptible to only limited distortion and flexing, I

drive meansengaging said belt and capable of moving it through an entire tubularization-detubularization cycle,

belt edge guide means controlling said. belt along lines parallel with and proximate with or coincident with the edges of said belt, rollers positioned under said belt at the points of initial total detubularization or flattening of said belt, 7

to the closest point of most complete tubularization of the belt is substantially equal to the distance from the center'of the top surface of said roller along the midline of said belt to the closest point of most complete tubularization of said belt.

2. A moving belt mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said belt comprises a woven mesh.

3. A moving belt mechanism according to claim 2 wherein said mesh has warp strands running lengthwise of said belt and weft strands running across said belt.

4. A moving belt mechanism according to claim 2 wherein said mesh has warp and weft strands on the bias of the length of said belt.

5. A moving belt mechanism according to claim 2 wherein said mesh is woven of metal strands.

6. A moving belt mechanism according to claim 5 wherein said mesh is woven of copper alloy strands.

7. A moving belt mechanism according to claim 2 wherein said mesh is woven of plastic strands.

8. A moving belt mechanism according to claim 7 wherein said mesh is woven of polyester strands.

9. A moving belt mechanism according to claim 1 I wherein said beltcomprises a double articulating wire link mesh.

10. A moving belt system according to claim wherein said belt is a non-woven web.

11. A moving belt mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said belt comprises a pinned link mesh.

12. A moving belt mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said drive means comprises driven gears positively engaging said belt along lines parallel and proximate with or coincident with the edges of said belt.

13'. A moving belt mechanism according to claim 12 wherein said driven gears engage apertured strips attached to said belt along lines parallel and proximate with or coincident with the edges of said belt.

l4. A moving belt mechanism according to claim 13 wherein said. apertured strips are chains. 7 v

15.- A moving belt mechanism according to claim 14 wherein said chains are attached to the edges of said belt.

1 6. A moving belt mechanism according to claim 14 wherein said chains are attached to said belt along lines parallel and proximate with but not coincident with the edges of said belt.

-17. A moving belt mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said belt edge guide means comprises guide tracks engaging guides attached to said belt along lines parallel and proximate with or coincident with the edges of said belt to guide the edge areas of said belt along predetermined paths.

IS. A moving belt mechanism according to-claim 17 wherein said guide tracks engage chains attached to said strip along lines parallel and proximatewith or co incident with the edges of said belt.

19. A moving belt mechanism according to claim 18 partially tubular configuration for a predetermined distance and then change said belt back to a relatively flat configuration.

22. A moving belt mechanism according to claim 17 wherein said guide tracks are so shaped as to change said belt from a relatively flat configuration to a fully tubular configuration, maintain said belt in said tubular configuration for a predetermined distance and then change said belt back to a relatively flat configuration.

23. In the method of interchanging the shape of a moving belt between a flat configuration and an at least partially tubular configuration, the improvement which comprises displacing the cross-sectional line of initial total flatness of the belt a predetermined distance from the plane tangential to or coincident with the midline area of the tubularized portion of said belt, measured along a line from said line of initial total flatness perpendicular to said tangential/coincident plane, while maintaining said line of initial total flatness parallel to said tangential/coincident plane and perpendicular to a line extending from the midpont of said line of initial total flatness to the midline'of thetubularized portion 7 of said beltat the initial point of maximum tubularization, said predetermined distance being such that the distances from each end of said line of initial total flatness along the edges of said belt to the closest point of most complete tubularization of the belt is substantially equal to the distance from the center of said line of initial total flatness along the midline of said belt to the closest point of most complete tubularization of said belt.

24. In the method of interchanging the shape of a moving belt between a flat configuration and a partially tubular configuration, the improvement which comprises displacing the cross-sectional line of initial total flatness of the belt a predetermined distance from the plane tangential to or coincident with the midline area of the tubularized portion of said belt, measured along a line from said line of initial total flatness perpendicular to said tangential/coincident plane, while maintaining said line of initial total flatness parallel to said tangential/coincident plane and perpendicular to a line extending from the midpoint of said line of initial total flatness to the midline of the partially tubularized portion of said belt at the initial point of maximum tubularization, said predetermined distance being such that the distances from each end of said line of initial total flatness along the edges of said belt to the closest point of most complete tubularization of the belt is substantially equal to the distance from the center of said line of initial total flatness along the midline of said belt to the closest point of most complete tubularization of said belt.

25. In the method of interchanging the shape of a moving belt between a flat configuration and fully tubular configuration, the improvement which comprises displacing the cross-sectional line of initial total flatness of the belt a predetermined distance from the plane tangential to the midline area of the tubularized portion of said belt, measured along a line from'said line of initial total flatness perpendicular to said tangential plane, while maintaining said lineof initial total flatness parallel to said tangential plane and perpendicular to a line extending from the midpoint of said line of initial total flatness to the midline of the tubularized portion of said belt at the initial point of full tubularization, said predetermined distance being such that the distances from each end of said line of initial total flatness along the edges of said belt to the closest point of full tubularization of the belt is substantially equal to the distance from the center of said line of initial total flatness along the midline of said belt to the closest point of full tubularization of said belt.

* III 

1. A moving belt tubularizing-detubularizing mechanism comprising a continuous belt which is substantially inelastic and is susceptible to only limited distortion and flexing, drive means engaging said belt and capable of moving it through an entire tubularization-detubularization cycle, belt edge guide means controlling said belt along lines parallel with and proximate with or coincident with the edges of said belt, rollers positioned under said belt at the points of initial total detubularization or flattening of said belt, the axes of said rollers being parallel with both the plane of the most fully circular cross-sectional area of the tubularized belt and the plane tangential to or coincident with the midline of the tubularized portion of said belt, said roller axes being displaced a predetermined distance above said tangential/coincident plane, measured along a line perpendicular to said plane, such that the distances from each end of the top surface of each of said rollers along the edges of said belt to the closest point of most complete tubularization of the belt is substantially equal to the distance from the center of the top surface of said roller along the midline of said belt to the closest point of most complete tubularization of said belt.
 2. A moving belt mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said belt comprises a woven mesh.
 3. A moving belt mechanism according to claim 2 wherein said mesh has warp strands running lengthwise of said belt and weft strands running across said belt.
 4. A moving belt mechanism according to claim 2 wherein said mesh has warp and weft strands on the bias of the length of said belt.
 5. A moving belt mechanism according to claim 2 wherein said mesh is woven of metal strands.
 6. A moving belt mechanism according to claim 5 wherein said mesh is woven of copper alloy strands.
 7. A moving belt mechanism according to claim 2 wherein said mesh is woven of plastic strands.
 8. A moving belt mechanism according to claim 7 wherein said mesh is woven of polyester strands.
 9. A moving belt mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said belt comprises a double articulating wire link mesh.
 10. A moving belt system according to claim 1 wherein said belt is a non-woven web.
 11. A moving belt mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said belt comprises a pinned link mesh.
 12. A moving belt mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said drive means comprises driven gears positively engaging said belt along lines parallel and proximate with or coincident with the edges of said belt.
 13. A moving belt mechanism according to claim 12 wherein said driven gears engage apertured strips attached to said belt along lines parallel and proximate with or coincident with the edges of said belt.
 14. A moving belt mechanism according to claim 13 wherein said aperturEd strips are chains.
 15. A moving belt mechanism according to claim 14 wherein said chains are attached to the edges of said belt.
 16. A moving belt mechanism according to claim 14 wherein said chains are attached to said belt along lines parallel and proximate with but not coincident with the edges of said belt.
 17. A moving belt mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said belt edge guide means comprises guide tracks engaging guides attached to said belt along lines parallel and proximate with or coincident with the edges of said belt to guide the edge areas of said belt along predetermined paths.
 18. A moving belt mechanism according to claim 17 wherein said guide tracks engage chains attached to said strip along lines parallel and proximate with or coincident with the edges of said belt.
 19. A moving belt mechanism according to claim 18 wherein said chains are attached to the edges of said belt.
 20. A moving belt mechanism according to claim 18 wherein said chains are attached to said belt along lines parallel and proximate with but not coincident with the edges of said belt.
 21. A moving belt mechanism according to claim 17 wherein said guide tracks are so shaped as to change said belt from a relatively flat configuration to a partially tubular configuration, maintain said belt in said partially tubular configuration for a predetermined distance and then change said belt back to a relatively flat configuration.
 22. A moving belt mechanism according to claim 17 wherein said guide tracks are so shaped as to change said belt from a relatively flat configuration to a fully tubular configuration, maintain said belt in said tubular configuration for a predetermined distance and then change said belt back to a relatively flat configuration.
 23. In the method of interchanging the shape of a moving belt between a flat configuration and an at least partially tubular configuration, the improvement which comprises displacing the cross-sectional line of initial total flatness of the belt a predetermined distance from the plane tangential to or coincident with the midline area of the tubularized portion of said belt, measured along a line from said line of initial total flatness perpendicular to said tangential/coincident plane, while maintaining said line of initial total flatness parallel to said tangential/coincident plane and perpendicular to a line extending from the midpont of said line of initial total flatness to the midline of the tubularized portion of said belt at the initial point of maximum tubularization, said predetermined distance being such that the distances from each end of said line of initial total flatness along the edges of said belt to the closest point of most complete tubularization of the belt is substantially equal to the distance from the center of said line of initial total flatness along the midline of said belt to the closest point of most complete tubularization of said belt.
 24. In the method of interchanging the shape of a moving belt between a flat configuration and a partially tubular configuration, the improvement which comprises displacing the cross-sectional line of initial total flatness of the belt a predetermined distance from the plane tangential to or coincident with the midline area of the tubularized portion of said belt, measured along a line from said line of initial total flatness perpendicular to said tangential/coincident plane, while maintaining said line of initial total flatness parallel to said tangential/coincident plane and perpendicular to a line extending from the midpoint of said line of initial total flatness to the midline of the partially tubularized portion of said belt at the initial point of maximum tubularization, said predetermined distance being such that the distances from each end of said line of initial total flatness along the edges of said belt to the closest point of most complete tubularization of the belt is substantially equal to the distance from the center of said line of inItial total flatness along the midline of said belt to the closest point of most complete tubularization of said belt.
 25. In the method of interchanging the shape of a moving belt between a flat configuration and fully tubular configuration, the improvement which comprises displacing the cross-sectional line of initial total flatness of the belt a predetermined distance from the plane tangential to the midline area of the tubularized portion of said belt, measured along a line from said line of initial total flatness perpendicular to said tangential plane, while maintaining said line of initial total flatness parallel to said tangential plane and perpendicular to a line extending from the midpoint of said line of initial total flatness to the midline of the tubularized portion of said belt at the initial point of full tubularization, said predetermined distance being such that the distances from each end of said line of initial total flatness along the edges of said belt to the closest point of full tubularization of the belt is substantially equal to the distance from the center of said line of initial total flatness along the midline of said belt to the closest point of full tubularization of said belt. 